Tag: Queensland

Art and Artists blog is excited to include another Jack Wilkie-Jans guest post. Enjoy!

Bimblebox: Art – Science – Nature, a touring exhibition, is a must see. Currently showing at Artspace Mackay (61 Gordon Street, Civic Centre Precinct, Mackay) in Northern Queensland, the exhibition will be on display until the 6th of December 2015 before continuing doing the rounds through regional galleries in Queensland and New South Wales. Next year the exhibition is off to the New England Regional Art Museum, NSW (106-114 Kentucky St, South Hill NSW) from the 5th of February to the 24th April 2016. Click here for future exhibition dates!

Showcasing Seventeen Artists, the group exhibition is curated by well known curator and art consultant, Beth Jackson. The works are varied (click here for catalogue), ranging from collages made up of naturally sourced materials, to modern sculptural installations of both natural and technological appeal, fine paintings & drawing, photography, sound installations and digital art. As such the exhibition is a balanced collection of talent, with artists drawing upon their experiences at Bimblebox Nature Refuge for their collective inspiration. The Bimblebox Nature Refuge is an 8000 hectare property in Central Queensland’s Galilee Basin that is currently under threat from Coal Mining.

They say nothing can beat nature, and while Mother Earth's creation (cared for by the caretakers at the Bimblebox refuge) is surely one of the greatest and most beautiful "installations", Bimblebox: Art – Science – Nature is a modern artists' interpretation and presentation of the aesthetic and the spiritual stories of such a pristine landscape. Showcased within art galleries across Queensland and New South Wales, like a modern take on the botanist portfolios of old, the exhibition literally transports Bimblebox to the viewer, and visa versa- something which is always a rewarding experience and a hallmark of any successful concept!

Art and Artists blog is excited to included Jack Wilkie-Jans second guest post. Enjoy!

In the state's capital, Brisbane, there lies a fabulous boutique gallery nestled in New Farm. It is without doubt an institution which does its fair share adding to the style and sophistication the suburb has become envied for. The Suzanne O'Connell Gallery, run by art dealer, consultant and former jazz singer, Suzanne O'Connell, (located at 93 James Street in New Farm) specialises in presenting only the best Aboriginal artists and most beautiful contemporary artworks.

The current exhibition by Western Australian artist Bugai Whyoulter is one of the most beautiful on display at the moment. Recently featured in the current issue of Art Collector magazine Whyoulter is described by her admirers as quiet and reclusive. Her artworks however speak very loudly and vibrantly of her culture, history and land. She is the daughter-in-law of famed artist Nora Wompi and is herself showing once again that Aboriginal art is as contemporary as it is reflective and that the movement, if you will, remains one of the strongest and most diverse in the wider Australian art industry.

If you're heading to the sunshine state and going by Brisbane, be sure to wander down into New Farm and visit the Suzanne O'Connell Gallery- either before or after stopping to have a coffee or cocktail at one of the many divine establishments along James Street.

This year Umi Arts gallery celebrates their 10th anniversary of operation in representing A&TSI artists and with the inauguration of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009, Umi Arts as the leading gallery in Queensland for representing and promoting Indigenous Australian art (contemporary and traditional) truly began to get noticed by larger galleries and serious collectors both at home and abroad.

The annual 'You & Me' Members' Exhibition each year for the past ten, showcases some of the region's best A&TSI artists and of course the eclectic combination of style, mediums and concepts they share between them. This year's line-up of artists features some of the most respected, enduring and promising established artists from the area such as Arone Meeks, Heather Koowootha, Paul Bong and Rosella Namok.

At this exhibition the viewer will be treated to a mini-maze of portable plinths and partition walls all decorated with the finest art & artefacts to represent the broader skills and style base of the gallery's numerous artists. While the 'You & Me' show for this year features only 16 of the gallery's rather expansive membership (including three works by yours truly) it reflects not only the diversity of the artists but also, and more significantly, highlights the enduring and ever-changing idea of what "Indigenous" art is.

So if you're a lover or learner of Indigenous Art and if you're considering an arts & cultural pilgrimage away from the big cities please be sure to head up to Cairns and visit the Umi Arts gallery. Of course many of the Umi Arts artists can be seen at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and the Biennale of Sydney, as well as around the traps at various other state and national public and private galleries.

Keep an eye out for the Umi Arts name and a finger on the rapidly growing pulse of creativity coming from the Far North!

Author: Jack Wilkie-JansJack is an artist and writer as well as an Alumni of the National Gallery of Australia's Wesfarmer's Indigenous Arts Leadership program from Far North Queensland.
www.jackandrewwilkiejans.weebly.com